QUIT SMOKING

Can Acupuncture help you kick the habit?

YES! Acupuncture can be very effective to help you stop smoking. Acupuncture has been used to help combat addiction and curb cigarette cravings for a long time. Many people have
had success and now research is supporting these claims. Some studies say that the effect can last up to 5 years! http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11676576

Among current U.S. adult smokers, 70% report that they want to quit smoking and millions try to quit every year. If you have attempted to quit smoking, you know how difficult it can
be. Nicotine is a powerful addiction. In fact, research suggests that nicotine is as addictive as heroin, cocaine, or alcohol.

It is estimated that most smokers will attempt to quit two or three times or more before finally kicking the habit. When conventional methods to quit smoking have failed, smokers often look
outside mainstream approaches and turn to alternative medicine.

Acupuncture is successful with smoking cessation and has turned a growing number of cigarette smokers into permanent ex-smokers. In addition, herbs or supplements are also used in
controlling cravings or minimize withdrawal symptoms. We will discuss ways you can change your lifestyle and habits to help you successfully break the habit.

Treatments take all of your symptoms into account and aim at balancing the energy within the body to optimize health.

The acupuncture needles are hair-thin. They are superficially inserted into various points in the ears and body to assist with smoking cessation. In between treatments, small pellets
are often taped to the acupuncture points on the ear.

When a cigarette craving hits, gently pressing on the pellets stimulates the acupuncture points to calm the mind and eliminate the craving.

Each patient is custom-treated according to his or her specific and unique diagnosis. Usually a combination of body acupuncture points and points on the ear are used that are believed to
influence the organs and energetic pathways associated with smoking.

Some of the ear points (shown above) used are:

Shenmen

Kidney

Sympathic

Lung Upper and Lung Lower

Hunger or Mouth

Some of the body points used are:

Tim Mee - an extra meridian point located on the wrist.

The Four Gate points - located on hands between thumb and index finger and feet between big toe and second toe. This combination is used to circulate energy (qi)
throughout the body and calm the nervous system.

Typical treatments last from five to 30 minutes with patient being treated one or two times a week. Some symptoms are relieved after the first treatment, while more severe or chronic
symptoms often require multiple treatments. After removing the needles, ear press needles or silver pellets are often applied so you can stimulate the points on your own in between treatments
in order to reduce cravings. A stop smoking program will often consist of 4-6 initial treatments scheduled in the first few weeks followed by monthly treatments for four to six months.

Acupuncture is not a magic cure in the treatment of any addiction but it can be effective in making it easier to quit and remain smoke-free for good.

If you are ready to quit, call us, we could help you! See how acupuncture can empower you to take control and begin a healthy and smoke-free life!